Blue catfish, freshwater drum invade Delaware River in Pennsylvania

An ill-conceived fisheries management plan in the Chesapeake Bay watershed 40 years ago could wreak havoc on the Delaware River today, as non-native blue catfish have begun to surface in the river’s lower reaches.
Another non-native – freshwater drum – also are proliferating in the lower Delaware, as well as in the lower Schuylkill River, prompting the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to seek anglers’ help in reporting and removing both species. While their arrival is recent, they threaten to cause serious ecological harm, according to Sean Hartzell, the commission’s invasive species coordinator.